Perhaps the greatest of the experiences at DataDarbar is to find oneself connected to a stream of humanity, shoulder to shoulder, with a shared sense of spirituality that cuts across ethnicity, sect, ritual and even religion at times. Despite the mayhem, the serenity of the place is soothing

“To traverse distance is child’s play: henceforth pay visits by means of thought; it is not worth while to visit any person, and there is no virtue in bodily presence”

Last week, accompanying a visitor from the Mecca of Sufis, Delhi, I reconnected with the Data Darbar or the royal pavilion of the great saint of Lahore, Ali bin Usman Al Hajveri. This shrine is the oldest and perhaps the most vibrant cultural marker of the past one millennium in Lahore. The title of Ganj Bakhsh was bestowed by the saint of the saints Khwaja Moin ud din Chishti of Ajmere, whose ascendancy in the Chishtia Sufi order is recognised by all and sundry. Pilgrimage to Ajmere by itself is a matter of spiritual attainment for the majority of Muslims in the subcontinent. It is not difficult to imagine then what the stature of Lahore’s Data Darbar is in this esoteric yet real and lived Islam in South Asia. While Khwaja Moin ud din Chishti honoured the Lahori saint with the title “bestower of treasure,” ordinary folk on Lahore’s streets were more direct by naming the saint as Data, the one who facilitates the fulfilment of aspirations.

Living nearly 11 centuries ago, Syed Ali bin Usman Al Hajveri was not a Lahori but a resident of Lahore’s cultural step-cousin, Ghazni, until he arrived in India and wandered in northern India before settling in Lahore for the last 34 years of his life. This was the time when mystics from Central Asia, in their constant urge to discover new vistas of spiritual exploration, started to travel and settle in different parts of the Indian subcontinent. It remains a mystery as to why Data Ganj Bakhsh would have chosen Lahore as the final stop in his life long journey. Perhaps the secular interpretation could be that Lahore was an inevitable stop over for all the Central Asian and Turkic caravans and armies and provided the right kind of environment for a foreign mystic to amalgamate into. A little before Ganj Bakhsh’s arrival, Lahore had been resurrected from the earlier ravages of time by the Ghaznavid ruler Mahmood and his son Masood.

Lahore’s fame had also spread deep into the rugged, mountainous climes of Central Asia. Its old fortified city, the banks of a gushing river and the motley collection of artisans, masons, artists, poets and musicians were all too well known.

During the 34 years of his Lahore residence, Ali Hajveri became the most revered of dervishes whose inclusive and tolerant mystical path attracted the majority of its non-Muslim population. Let us not forget that the non-Muslim population was also a subject of a pernicious caste hierarchy where access to templar gods and clerical blessings was denied to a good number of the population. This was the beginning of a centuries’ long process of peaceful conversions. Islam’s egalitarianism and its larger message of equality before God was quite a magical idea for many, not to mention that the Sufi path did not require conversion per se. This is why DataDarbar has been a hub of inter-communal quests for spiritual attainment.

Other than that, Ali Hajveri’s important contribution to the corpus of documented mystical thought is the treatise that he authored and left for posterity. Known as Kashf- al- Mahjub, or “Unveiling of the Hidden,” it is a monumental document striking for its communicative tone and systematic way of discussing mysticism.

Through the dynasties that were to follow Mahmood Ghaznavi’s controversial military campaigns, the primacy of Ali Hajveri’s shrine continued. Its centrality to the evolution of Muslim rulers meant that the origins of Islam were paradoxically not rooted in the capture of power. Voluntary conversions at Sufi khanqahs and dergahs were a constant process. The Sultans of Delhi and the Moghuls were all enamoured by the mythical might of the saint, and while the imperial grandeur continued, the ordinary Lahoris had already renamed Lahore as “Data ki Nagri”- Data‘s city. Khawaja Moin ud din Chishti undertook 40 day long meditative exercises at this shrine before he moved to Ajmere to carry on the Sufi mission of spreading love, tolerance and harmony and of re-emphasising the indivisible equality of man. The Moghul prince and heir apparent Dara Shikoh, like his great-grandfather Akbar, was also a true devotee of Data Ganj Bakhsh.

The decline of the Moghul Empire did not impact the energy of the shrine. In fact, the formidable Punjabi leader, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, like his predecessors, invested in the upkeep and expansion of the shrine complex. The rulers dare not afford the wrath or displeasure of the saint, such has been the power of imagination. Therefore, it is but logical that Mian Shahbaz Sharif, during his first tenure as the chief minister of Punjab, initiated the mega project of DataDarbar‘s physical renewal, expansion and “beautification” in the late nineties.

My visit on that Thursday night took me by surprise at the melee of the devotees. This was the first time that I actually experienced the chaotic enthusiasm of the thousands that had gathered on just a regular Thursday night. We entered as a matter of caution from the old Mela Ram street and walked to the shrine passing through the interesting web of narrow streets and by lanes with courtyards boasting a few ancient pipal trees. This was not an easy walk given the jam-packed streets around the shrine. We tried to enter the shrine by the golden gate erected by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1974 and after a little argument with the hordes of volunteers â€“ razakars as they are called to maintain order â€“ we reached the all-marble inner precincts of the shrine.

Standing near the tomb is a fabulous experience, for it brings together the innate diversity of our cultures and faiths. From the absorbed mystics, the mazjoobs , to the green turbaned formal clerics, there are dozens of interesting followers all in the same compound. If at one end a naat khwan is reciting verse eulogising Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), at the other end one would find another person reciting some Punjabi folk tale in lyricised format. Sounds of zikr – organised remembrance of God – sessions are in progress, and not too far away a little group would be offering prayer in a more ritualistic manner.

Men and women access the tomb from different sides and mercifully women are not denied entry unlike a few other shrines in India and Pakistan. Over the years, many verses in Persian have been engraved in white marble either as part of a government project or through individual philanthropic contributions. The most famous of these happens to be Moin ud din Chishti’s famous verse:

(Ganj Baksh is a manifestation of divine light and a bounty for all
For the lesser mortals he is the perfect guide and for the perfect, he is the leader)

There is a little hamam that is believed to be an old source of water at the shrine and contains healing powers. Little trays full of salt are also to be found here and these are meant to be tasted by visitors for medicinal and spiritual benefaction.

In Kashf al Mahjoob, Ali Hajveri writes on the essence of Sufism that places loving devotion of God at its core: “Sufism is the heart’s being, pure from the pollution of discord.” He further elaborates that, “love is concord and the lover has but one duty in the world, namely to keep the commandment of the beloved and if the object of desire is one how can discord arise?” And if one is striving to keep the heart free of discord and clear in the pursuit of the single most important priority, i.e., love for the creator, then love for all creation is but a natural consequence.

About the Sufi attire of the patched frock, Ali Hajveri has a creative mystical interpretation to offer: its collar is annihilation of intercourse (with men), its two sleeves are observance and continence, its two gussets are poverty and purity, its belt is persistence in contemplation, its hem is tranquillity in (God’s) presence and its fringe is settlement in the abode of union. This translation by Nicholson may not do justice to the original Persian prose but it does covey to us the richness of metaphor and the light of imagination that can only emanate from the purest of hearts.

Langar, the distribution of food, at the Sufi Khanqah (abode) is a centuries-old tradition. It allows devotees to eat together, feed the hungry and attend to an exhausted traveller and is a means of redistributing wealth. DataDarbar is also an important location, for it feeds thousands of people every day through the complex networks of langar, its financiers, distributors and organisers.

Perhaps the greatest of the experiences at DataDarbar is to find oneself connected to a stream of humanity, shoulder to shoulder, with a shared sense of spirituality that cuts across ethnicity, sect, ritual and even religion at times. The serenity of the place despite the mayhem is also soothing. On less busy days, the interaction with the shrine becomes even more comforting.

In years that I have not visited Ganj-Baksh’s tomb, I have remained connected. It has little to do with the search for miracles and seeking petty, transient favours from divinity and God’s chosen few. It has to do with the pursuit of the purity, of an unpolluted being, free of “discord.” This uncanny feeling has been best defined in the words of the great saint:

“To traverse distance is child’s play: henceforth pay visits by means of thought; it is not worth while to visit any person, and there is no virtue in bodily presence.”

Whether one visits DataDarbar or not while living in Lahore, it is not difficult to be connected. Lahore’s last millennium and its spiritual-cultural centrepiece â€“ Data‘s shrine â€“ characterises us, whether we recognise it, or not.

I realise this is off topic but while your site looks nice, it could be far better if you’ll be able to use lighter colors too in the design. This will encourage a lot more readers come to check it out more often!

I was excited to find this site. I need to to thank you for your time for this wonderful read!! I definitely enjoyed every bit of it and i also have you book marked to check out new stuff on your site.|

Hi there! This article couldn’t be written any better! Looking through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I am going to send this post to him. Pretty sure he will have a very good read. I appreciate you for sharing!|

Have you ever considered about adding a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is valuable and all. Nevertheless think of if you added some great graphics or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with images and videos, this website could definitely be one of the best in its niche. Awesome blog!|

I believe everything posted made a bunch of sense. But, what about this? what if you typed a catchier post title? I ain’t saying your information is not solid, however suppose you added a post title to maybe get people’s attention? I mean %BLOG_TITLE% is a little plain. You ought to peek at Yahoo’s front page and watch how they write article headlines to get viewers to click. You might add a video or a related picture or two to get readers excited about what you’ve written. Just my opinion, it would bring your website a little livelier.|

Having read this I thought it was rather informative.
I appreciate you spending some time and energy to put this article together.
I once again find myself spending a significant amount of time
both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it!

I precisely needed to appreciate you again. I am not sure the things I might have sorted out in the absence of the type of basics discussed by you regarding that theme. Previously it was a hard matter in my position, but observing a new skilled mode you processed the issue forced me to leap over delight. Extremely grateful for the help and in addition pray you recognize what a great job you happen to be doing training the mediocre ones thru your site. I am sure you have never met any of us.

Great post. I was checking constantly this blog and I’m impressed! Very helpful information specially the last part 🙂 I care for such info a lot. I was looking for this particular info for a very long time. Thank you and good luck.

Thanks for the marvelous posting! I definitely enjoyed reading it, you happen to be a great author.I will ensure that I bookmark your blog and will eventually come back someday. I want to encourage you to ultimately continue your great writing, have a nice holiday weekend!

Hey there. I found your site by way of Google at the same time as searching for a similar matter, your website got here up. It seems to be good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this information. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is really frustrating. A good web site with exciting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually annoying. A good site with exciting content, that is what I need. Thanks for making this web site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is really annoying. A good blog with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web-site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and net stuff and this is actually annoying. A good site with exciting content, that’s what I need. Thanks for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Simply want to say your article is as astonishing. The clarity for your submit is just great and i can suppose you are an expert on this subject. Fine together with your permission allow me to snatch your RSS feed to keep updated with drawing close post. Thanks one million and please continue the rewarding work.

Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is really irritating. A good web site with interesting content, that is what I need. Thank you for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and web stuff and this is really frustrating. A good web site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web-site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and web stuff and this is actually annoying. A good site with interesting content, that is what I need. Thank you for making this website, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and web stuff and this is actually annoying. A good website with exciting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this information. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually irritating. A good blog with exciting content, that is what I need. Thanks for making this web site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hey there. I discovered your blog by way of Google at the same time as looking for a similar topic, your web site got here up. It appears to be great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.

Hello there. I discovered your website by the use of Google even as searching for a related subject, your website got here up. It looks good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.

Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is really irritating. A good website with exciting content, that’s what I need. Thank you for making this site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this information. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is really irritating. A good web site with exciting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is really annoying. A good web site with exciting content, that’s what I need. Thanks for making this web-site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually annoying. A good blog with exciting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web-site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is really frustrating. A good site with interesting content, that’s what I need. Thank you for making this web-site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hello there. I discovered your web site by the use of Google while looking for a related topic, your site got here up. It appears to be good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is really annoying. A good web site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hello there. I discovered your web site by means of Google even as searching for a related topic, your web site got here up. It appears to be good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.

Hello there. I discovered your site by means of Google at the same time as searching for a similar matter, your web site came up. It looks good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.

I precisely had to appreciate you once again. I’m not certain the things I might have gone through in the absence of the entire tips and hints shared by you on such a problem. Previously it was a real hard matter in my opinion, nevertheless seeing the very specialized technique you solved the issue took me to weep with contentment. I am thankful for your support and even have high hopes you find out what a great job that you’re doing training people today using your web page. Probably you haven’t encountered any of us.

I believe that is one of the so much important info for me. And i’m satisfied reading your article. However want to observation on few basic things, The site taste is ideal, the articles is in point of fact great : D. Excellent process, cheers

Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good site with exciting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this web site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is really annoying. A good site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this website, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and net stuff and this is really frustrating. A good site with interesting content, that’s what I need. Thanks for making this site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is really frustrating. A good site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and web stuff and this is really frustrating. A good site with interesting content, that is what I need. Thanks for making this web-site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I am really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and web stuff and this is actually irritating. A good site with interesting content, that’s what I need. Thank you for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I am really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and net stuff and this is actually irritating. A good website with interesting content, that is what I need. Thank you for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good blog with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and net stuff and this is really frustrating. A good site with interesting content, that is what I need. Thanks for making this site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and web stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I am really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is really frustrating. A good site with exciting content, that is what I need. Thanks for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hi there. I found your blog by means of Google at the same time as looking for a similar subject, your website got here up. It appears to be great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.

Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your site? My blog is in the exact same area of interest as yours and my users would genuinely benefit from a lot of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this alright with you. Thank you!

Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is really annoying. A good blog with exciting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good blog with exciting content, that is what I need. Thank you for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and web stuff and this is really annoying. A good site with exciting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hello there. I discovered your website via Google at the same time as searching for a related subject, your site got here up. It appears great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.

Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually irritating. A good blog with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hello there. I discovered your web site by means of Google even as looking for a related topic, your site came up. It appears to be great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good web site with exciting content, that’s what I need. Thanks for making this website, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually annoying. A good web site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web-site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hey there. I found your web site by the use of Google whilst looking for a comparable topic, your website got here up. It appears to be great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and web stuff and this is really frustrating. A good website with exciting content, that is what I need. Thanks for making this web site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?

Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this information. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is really irritating. A good web site with exciting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this web site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?